Astralis Brings in Ruben “RUBINO” Villarroel as a Substitute for Dev1ce
Danish esports team Astralis has announced that they will be adding new talent to their lineup for the remainder of 2017. This time, they are bringing in Ruben “RUBINO” Villarroel, a player who has been out of the CS:GO spotlight for some time.
Team Dignitas has decided to loan RUBINO to Astralis for the ESL Pro League Season Six Finals and the ECS Season Four Finals, which are the last two major international events of 2017. RUBINO will be filling the position left by Nicolai “Dev1ce” Reedtz, who is currently on extended medical leave. Dev1ce is expected to return to the team in January for the Boston Major, but this will depend on his condition improving.
Related: Dev1ce out for the remainder of the year, will return for the Boston Major
Initially, there were reports that Astralis might skip the EPL Finals due to an appeal to WESA–ESL’s team-governing body regarding the use of GODSENT’s Dennis Edman as a substitute. Since Astralis did not have an immediate substitute, their options were limited to their coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen. However, it has now been made clear that Astralis has been given permission to use players from outside ESL’s league for the finals.
RUBINO did not participate in either the ESL Pro League or the ESEA Premier Division in the latter half of 2017 due to his team’s struggles in filling their roster. He has experienced disappointment during his time on Dignitas, as the team has failed to qualify for almost every top-tier event in 2017. The last major tournament that RUBINO competed in was the ELEAGUE Major: Atlanta in January, where they finished in the top eight. Fortunately, Dignitas has hinted that they will have a full team for competition in 2018.
In the organization’s Facebook announcement, coach zonic expressed his concerns about the recent changes in the team’s lineup and their lack of preparation. However, he remains optimistic about finishing the year strong.
RUBINO will be representing Astralis from December 5 to 10 at the ESL Pro League Season Six Finals, and from December 15 to 17 at the ECS Season Four Finals.
Astralis, Ruben “RUBINO” Villarroel, CS:GO, Team Dignitas, ESL Pro League Season Six Finals, ECS Season Four Finals, Dev1ce, Boston Major, WESA, EPL Finals, Danny “zonic” Sørensen, esports.